Balancing and steering device for airships.



Y I w. R. SMITH. l BALANGING AND STEERING DVIOE PGR AIBSHIPS. APLIUATION FILED JUNE 19, 1911. 1,003,530.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM RANDOLPH SMITH, 0F ERBA, UTAH. BALANCING AND STEERING DEVICE FOR AIRSHIPS.

specification of Letters raient. t Application led .Tune 18, 1911.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911. sumiso. cassata.

To all lwhom il may concern:

Be it known that l, lVILLLiM R. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residingv at llrda, in the county of Tooele and State of Utah, ha ve invented certain new and useful linprovenients in .lialancin and Steering Devices for Airships; and do declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchl as Will enable others skilled in the appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in balancingr and steering devices for air shi s.

One object of the invention is to provide a balancing andsteering device for air shi s which is adapted rises in the air and to be raised or drawn u as the ship descends and approaches the Another object is to provide acombined rudder and balancing Weight of this character which when in a lowered position will provide an effectual ballast to prevent the ship from careei'iin'c,r or overturning and which may be readily turned to steer`the ship in the desired direction. t'

lVith these and other objects in view,.the invention consists of certain novel features ot' construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be-more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.y

ln the accompanying drawiugszlf`igure 1 is a side elevatiorrof my combined balanci ng weight and steering` device; Fig. enlarged vertical sectional View of the same with parts broken away; Fig. 3 is a. cross sectional view on the line 3"? of Fig. 2.

My improved balancing and steering device may be applied to the air ship in any .suitable and comprises a vertically disposed ,tubular casing 1 which is formed in two sectionsI bolted together as shown und preferably has a square outer surface and a circular bore or passage 2. 'ihe up )er and lower ends 3 of the casing l are re uced and of cylindrical forni and provided with metal ferrules 3 to engage bearing sleeves arranged in suitable s supporting bars 4 which form part of the frame ot' the an' ship. In two op osite sides ot' [he easing 1 are formed alined) vertically disposed slots 5 the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

Sliilahiy mounted in the easing 1 is a combined rudder and weight supporting shaft vof the cable 2 is an manner and in any suitable poition l y provides which may be of any suitable length. On the shaft 6 are formed operating. lu s and 8 which reject through the s ots in the casing. 0n t e end of the lug 'i' is secured a guide block 9 which engages the outer side of the casing as shown.

To the hw 8 is connected one end of a raising and lowering cable 10 which passes upwardly and around n guide pulley 11 revolubly mounted on a suitable part of the frame of the ship as shown. The other end 10 extends downwardly to withof the operator and may ble manner.

the shaft isl secured 1n convenient reach be secured in any suite,

On the lower end of a combined rudder and balancing weight 12 which ma be of any suitable size and weight an which is preferably shaped as shown, and is adapted to be raised and lowered and'turned to the desired position.

The rudder is turned by means of a handle 13 which is secured to the casing 1 at any desired point within convenient reach of the operator preferably by bein provided with aV bifnrntcd head clanipe Into operative engagement with the casing by a. clampind bolt 14, which permits the handle to be lifted to the desired position. In the handle isy formed a l which the lug and cable l0 may pass in raijsing and lowering the shaftG.

balancing weight and rudder l2 the ysaine may be gradually lowered bythe operator as the machine leaves the ground and rises in the air and when thus lowered may be turncll by the handle to steer the ship in the desired direction. lVhen the weight and rudder is in its lowered position the sinne an elieient and reliable ballast or counter balance which will eifectunlly prevent the ship from tilting and turning over in a high wind or storm.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction andoperation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explaination.

arious changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction muy be resorted to without departingr from the principle or sacrificing any ofvthe advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

slotl l5 through bus arranging and supporting thev Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A combined balancing and steering device for airships comprising a casing rectangular on its exterior and having a cylindrical bore, its upper and lower ends being reduced and made cylindrical, ferrules thereon, supporting bars in which said ferrules are journaled, the casing having oppositely disposed upright slots between Said errules, a shaft slidably mounted in the casing and having lugs rejecting lthrough said slots, a combined ba ancing wei lrht and rudder carried by said shaft, a gui e block carried by one of said lugs and movable vertically outside the casing, a steering handle having a bifurcated head passing around the casing, a bolt connecting the arms of said bifurcation and spaced from the casing to permit the passage of the block between them, aiid means attachcd to the other lug for raising and lowering the shaft. 2. A combined balancing and steering device `for airships comprisin a casinaF rectangular on its exterior andaving a llongitudinal bore, its up er and lower ends heilig reduced and ma e cylindrical, ferrnles thereon, supporting bars in which said ferrules are journaled, the casing having oppositely disposed upright slots between said ferrules, a shaft slidably mounted in the casin'g and having lugs projecting through said slots, a combined balancmv weight and rudder carried by said simil, a guide block carried by' one of said lu 's and movable vertically outside the casing, a steering handle aving a bifurcated head passing around the casing, a bolt connecting the arms of said bifurcation and spaced from the casing to permit the passage of the blocll: between them, the handle being provided with a slot on that side of the casing opposite saidbolt, a `(pulley 'ournaled on the upper support, an a cab e passing over said pulley and attached to the other lu for raising and lowering said shaft an rudders,

this lug and the lower end of the cable passing through the slot in the handle.

3. A. combined balancing and steering device for air ships comprising a revolubly mounted upright tubulary casing, supports therefor, a shaft slidably mounted in said casing, a combined balancing weight and rudder secured to the lower end of said shaft, a raising and lowering cable connected to said shaft, a guide pulley on the upper support to receive said cable whereb1 the same may be actuated to raise and ower said shaft and the weight and rudder and a handle adjustably secured to the casing between its supports and having a slot for the passage of said cable.

4. combined balancing and steering device for air ships, comprising a casing having formed in two sides thereof oppositely dis osed slots, and havin its ends reduced to orm cylindrical journa s, supporting bars to receive said journals and revolubly support the casing, a shaft slidably mounted 1n the casing, lugs formed on said shaft and projecting through the slots in the casing, a guide block secured to one of said lugs, a

raising and lowering cable secured to the other lug, -a guide pulley to receive said cable, whereby the latter may be actuated to raise and lower said* shaft, a combined balancing weight and rudder secured to the lower end of the cable and ada ted to be raised and lowered thereby, an a handle having a bifurcated head adapted to be adtjustably clam )ed to said casing whereby the same and sai shaft may be turned to actuate said rudder and weight and thus steer the ship.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of the subscribing witnesses. y

4 WILLIAM RANDOLPH SMITH.

Witnesses:

,` H. A. SMITH, Nmns LIND, RUBY WHITE. 

